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OC STEM is very proud and excited to welcome our second cohort of districts to join the OC STEM Ecosystem Institute, which will be made up of:
Brea-Olinda Unified School District
Capistrano Unified School District
Centralia School District
Huntington Beach City School District
Huntington Beach Union High School District
Laguna Beach Unified School District
Magnolia School District
Newport-Mesa Unified School District
Savanna School District
The dedication and enthusiasm of our first cohort of district teams has been truly inspiring, and the group's next and last official full day session will take place on April 14 at the Ayres Hotel in Costa Mesa. Cohort 1 and 2 will converge on May 19 for a combined commencement and kick-off celebration. Stay tuned for more updates and pictures from all of our upcoming sessions.
For more information, visit our website or contact Linda Christopher at lchristopher@ocstem.org.
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As a local extension to the annual ECE STEM Conference in Pasadena, OC STEM hosted a one-day symposium in Orange County on February 20, 2016 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. Over 400 attendees gathered together to explore what STEM education looks like in the early childhood setting. The day featured dynamic speakers, interactive presentations, professional dialogue, and a surprise visit from Tinkerbell herself!
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The theme “Come Tinker With Us†was a play on the importance of providing young learners with engineering opportunities (aka – tinkering), and to also have fun acknowledging one of the world’s most favorite tinkerers – Disney’s very own Tinkerbell. The keynote presenter, Dr. Gregory Washington, Dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine, offered a riveting speech on how early STEM education will impact the future, and Nino Polizzi, former rocket scientist and current engineering teacher, demonstrated a hands on approach to engage students in tinkering and building.
The panel of experts facilitated by Jamie Annunzio-Myers of PBS SoCal, included Susan Wood, Executive Director of the Children’s Center at Caltech, Tom Chiaromonte, professor of Child Development and Educational Studies at Fullerton College, Nelida Pedraza, preschool teacher with Anaheim Elementary School District, Amiee Goulding, Director of Bright Visions Early Childhood Center, and Dr. Jean Barbre from the Orange County Office of Education. Sandra Barry, a Commissioner for the Children and Families Commission of Orange County was also an honored guest and presenter at the symposium.
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OC STEM along with its partners, The Children and Families Commission of Orange County, Think Together, Orange County Department of Education, The Boeing Company, Orange County Business Council and the Children’s Home Society of California supports and promotes high quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education for all young learners. These organizations are united in their dedication to collaborate with educators and families to design and study curriculum, and offer teacher professional development that is effective in fostering children’s learning in the STEM domains. Early science and math skills and knowledge enhance children’s school readiness and later success in school.
For more information about the EC STEM Symposium including the event program, power point presentations, speaker bios and videos from Boeing – please visit our website.
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Traditionally, there has been a shortage of women in STEM fields to a greater degree than many other professions. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, women in fields commonly referred to as STEM made up 7 percent of that workforce in 1970, a figure that by 2011 had grown to just 26 percent. In a world of increasing diversity, there is a greater focus on encouraging mentoring to support women throughout their education and professional lives.
The Women Advancing Through Technology (WATT) program was created in response to this growing problem. The idea for the class originated at an Anaheim YMCA After-School Network event where AutoCAD instructor, Chris Kent, and OC STEM Executive Director, Linda Christopher, were conversing with a member of the Jamboree Housing Resident Services staff and realized Jamboree residents were a perfect fit for an AutoCAD class designed to encourage women to pursue careers in STEM. WATT ultimately came to fruition through a grant provided by JP Morgan Chase, an OC STEM member, and Growth Sector, a nonprofit with a strategy to provide job training for underserved populations by bringing together employers, community colleges, government, and foundations.
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The five-week AutoCAD class was held for 20 female residents from Jamboree’s affordable housing communities in Orange County through the collaboration of multiple local partners. To help overcome potential barriers, Jamboree Housing provided transportation to and from the class, which was hosted by the Orange County Department of Education, childcare and programs for kids during classes, as well as breakfast and lunch on each class day for participants.
This pilot group boasted perfect attendance for all five weeks of class. Upon graduation, each student was given a new laptop pre-loaded with AutoCAD software as well as a customized carrying bag. Also in attendance for the graduation were representatives from Saddleback Community College and Santa Ana College, program mentors, and guest speaker Nubia Rocha, VP & Area Manager of OC Business Banking for JP Morgan Chase, who provided information as well as encouragement for the women to pursue further education toward STEM careers.
(Adapted from Jamboree Housing Corporation Press Release)
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“Back to Business†Community Forum Series - Advanced Manufacturing
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In partnership with the Orange County Workforce Investment Board, Orange County United Way, Orange County Department of Education, and OCTANe, OC STEM hosted the “Back to Business†Community Forum on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin. Workforce development leaders, career technical educators and administrators, business leaders, and parents, came together for a discussion on the future of Advanced Manufacturing in Orange County.
Among a series of special guest speakers was Andy Tymkiw, Vice President of Global Operations, Heart Valve Therapy at Edwards Life Sciences who discussed the current technology involved in heart valve repair for patients, kicking off an inspiring conversation about advanced manufacturing in the medical field. Sarah Hovsepian, Director of FABWorks at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at University of California, Irvine discussed her current innovations in Advanced Manufacturing specifically in design and technology fabrication.
Andrew Munoz, Executive Director of the Orange County Workforce Investment Board delivered a rundown on the current status of the manufacturing industry, and career opportunities available in this field nationally, statewide, and locally here in Orange County. Munoz also led the discussion on what can be done to increase the workforce in manufacturing occupations.
Our Executive Director Linda Christopher shared OC STEM’s mission to support and promote Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in career training for manufacturing occupations by promoting collaboration between students, parents, teachers, and business partners. She also noted that all manufacturing jobs are STEM jobs.
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The event included an interactive dialogue among all participants at each table. Advanced Manufacturing employers discussed current issues in recruitment as well as opportunities that exist now for young people, and what parents and schools can do to promote Advanced Manufacturing in Orange County.
A huge thank you goes out to the guest speakers for informing and inspiring a meaningful conversation, and to our employer partners, educators and parents who engaged in lively discussion on this important topic. OC STEM along with our community partners and the Workforce Investment Board, greatly look forward to promoting growth in advanced manufacturing throughout Orange County.
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Health Career Pathways With the Cal Endowment
Through a new, robust partnership with The Cal Endowment (TCE), OC STEM has received a $225,000 grant to work with a variety of partners in the region to develop a countywide infrastructure for Health Career Pathways.
Through this new funding from The Cal Endowment, OC STEM will work to raise the visibility of collaborative efforts involving K-12, community colleges and business and industry by galvanizing health care employers and stakeholders to convene and address career pathways. Because high school and community college pathways have a critical role in the health care workforce pipeline for the region, convening the education leaders with the Health Sector Advisory Council and Health Sector Employers will create an ongoing community of practice that will enhance Orange County’s ability to prepare for the future health needs of the community.
For more details and information on this initiative, please visit the OC STEM website.
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Registration is now open for the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair (OCSEF). The 2016 OCSEF will be held on April 12-17, 2016 at the OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, California and will honor scientific and engineering design work of 6th-12 grade students from all over Orange County.
This year, OC STEM will be presenting a special award, which will go to a particularly innovative middle school student. The recipient and his/her school will each be awarded $500 for their efforts. In order to be eligible, students must meet the overall eligibility requirements and deadlines listed below.
For more information, please visit the OCSEF Website. We are truly looking forward to this event showcasing the wonderful STEM learning occurring in Orange County!
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